PLASMAPHERESIS IN THE TREATMENT OF PRIMARY SEPTIC SHOCK IN HUMANS

14 patients (mean age 25.5 yrs) with life-threatening primary septic s hock were eligible for treatment with acute plasmapheresis in a prospe ctive study. They had a short history of sepsis and had no severe unde rlying disease. 10/14 patients had systemic meningococcal disease. All patients were severely ill with a mean APACHE II score of 25.0. 12/14 patients were treated with plasmapheresis exchanging 1 plasma volume within hours of admission. 11/14 patients survived without major seque lae and 3 (21%) died of irreversible septic shock. This mortality is l ower than that predicted from the APACHE II scores (55.2%). A subgroup of plasmapheresis-treated patients with septic shock and extensive pe techiae were compared to a historical control group. The mortality in the treatment group was 1/7 (14%) versus 8/21 (38%) in the control gro up. We conclude that acute plasmapheresis may be a therapeutic option in the early stages of severe primary non-surgical septic shock.